Fellowship Program

The DFG Center for Advanced Studies in Tübingen aims to help establish the theoretical foundations for a new cross-disciplinary field of bio-cultural coevolution by pushing the limits of cooperation between traditional disciplines. It seeks to bring together scholars from the fields of linguistics, paleoanthropology, genetics and genomics, and archaeology to exchange ideas and develop common methodological approaches to the study of the human past. The fellowship program allows visiting scholars to pursue a multi-disciplinary academic endeavor in a stimulating environment at the University of Tübingen.

Scholars can apply for a fellowship for the years 2016 to 2018, with a stay in Tübingen between 3-6 months. Fellows can take advantage of the many resources at the University of Tübingen. Notably, the university holds a large collection of cultural and biological remains in its museum, including more than 8,000 individuals represented in the human osteology collection and over 4,000 artifacts and records in the ethnography collection.

Application & Selection

Applications are accepted continuously and will be reviewed as as they are received. Candidates should submit a curriculum vitae and a fellowship proposal. The proposal should describe the activities anticipated for the requested duration of the fellowship and can include research, project collaborations, and didactic pursuits. Proposals should be between 500-1000 words. Research proposals should state the scientific objective and expected outcome, as well as foreseen use of university laboratory time and the names of Tübingen member collaborators, if applicable.

Selection of fellows is based on merit of the proposal, in conjunction with demonstrated academic excellence corresponding to the career stage of the candidate. Proposals that bring a new perspective or skill set to the DFG Center will receive strong consideration. Likewise, preference will be given to proposal that align with the research conducted by the DFG Center members. For the year 2016, proposals that focus on American prehistory are particularly encouraged.

Fellowship Benefits

Fellows will be granted an honorarium commensurate with experience, corresponding to the German public service salary scale. The honorary includes a financial contribution toward costs associated with travel to Tübingen.

All fellows will be provided office space at the Institute of Archaeological Sciences, centrally located in Tübingen. Offices are equipped with a desktop computer, university network access to scientific journals, and a telephone landline connection. Fellows can request access to other facilities and laboratories as necessary. The Institute of Archaeological Sciences hosts several state-of-the-art laboratories, including the Paleoanthropology High Resolution Computed Tomography Laboratory and an Imaging Laboratory equipped with modern workstations, a confocal microscope, desktop digitizers, and surface scanners.

Fellows' Contributions

All fellows are expected to participate in the DFG Center’s academic activities, including bi- weekly colloquia. In addition, fellows will be asked to deliver a public university lecture or participate in the academic activities of the university’s Forum Scientiarum, a central institution promoting the dialogue between the sciences and humanities in research and teaching. Senior fellows are encouraged to provide counsel on the scientific prospectus of the DFG Center, as well as to engage in collaborations with doctoral and post-doctoral members.

Publications resulting from work undertaken during the fellowship should reflect affiliation with the DFG Center or acknowledgement of fellowship support.

Support & Logistics

Upon notification of acceptance, prospective fellows will register with the University of Tübingen’s Welcome Center. The Welcome Center will provide English-language support in completing formalities associated with your stay, including visas and registration with the city of Tübingen. The Welcome Center can assist fellows with housing accomodations, including apartment options at the university’s Heuberger-Tor-Weg Residence for visiting scholars or rooms at the university’s Lessingweg Guest House. In addition, the Welcome Center can assist with logistical coordination associated with accompanying family members. The Welcome Center organizes English-language social activities throughout the year for visiting scholars and their families.